Bonds of Destiny
by rowantree13
Summary: After the destruction of the Moon kingdom... Before our current time on this planet known as Earth... Two familar people meet in an unexpected way. Rating may change for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

'Bonds of Destiny'

The sensation of touch returned first, as pain shot through her nervous system, telling her that her arms, wrists and ankles were experiencing severe strain. But at least the pain was an indication that she was still alive.

Her eyes slowly opened, blinking away the dust in the air. She looked around at her new environment, eager to find an opportunity for freedom.

Her captors had thrown her into a prison cell that was ten feet high, eight feet long, and six feet wide. It was roomy for a cell, there was a high window with sunlight streaming through the bars embedded in the window frame. The room's color had a greenish tint, like all of the city buildings seemed to have. Then again, it seemed as it the whole planet were one giant ocean with the buildings rising from the waters...

The prisoner was brought back to her current predicament as she tried to move her arm to wipe the ever present dust from her eyes, but both of her arms were held above her head by cuffs on her wrists. Those cuffs, in turn, were effectively chained to the wall. When she tried to move one of her legs she found that her ankles were cuffed as well.

Taking a deep breath, she yanked at the chains, hoping that they could be loosened due to rust and the force of her constant pulling. However, the circular rings of metal only jingled merrily until she relaxed, defeated, still held in the manacles' restraining grip.

'Damn... It looks like I'm just going to end up hanging around here-"

She raised both eyebrows as she smirked to herself, realizing the irony of the statement. She was, indeed, hanging around from the chains with the pain in her shoulders getting worse by the second. By leaning against the wall and standing on the tips of her toes, she found that she could relieve the strain... for a few all too brief moments.

Craning her neck so she could get a better view from the window, the prisoner noticed that the sunlight was slowly fading. A breeze drifted through the opening, easing the heat that had built up over the course of the day. All she wore was a rough cloth tunic that was chafing against her skin, but when the air drifted past the bars of the opening, the tunic seemed to breathe and dust drifted away from her, the air tasting fresh with just a hint of salt in the scent.

Her stomach growled and thirst made her mouth feel as dry as desert sand. She licked at chapped lips, trying to bring moisture into her mouth. Some stray bangs had fallen out of place and she blew the strands up and out of her face, twisting her back and neck carefully to ease the cricks in them from the strain on her muscles.

'I have to get out of here... how?' She looked around her cell, her eyes scanning the walls, the window with bars, the door, waiting for an opportunity to reveal itself. The bars were embedded as well, no luck there... the door hinges were outside of the cell, there would have been chance to escape if she could have destroyed the hinges...

She suddenly heard voices just outside. It was two women talking by the sounds of it. One of them was muffled, and the captive heard only the reply to the first

"Erm, Mi'lady, I wouldn't recommend choosing this particular prisoner..."

'Choosing?' thought the captive as she pondered the words. 'Chosen for what?'

The second voice continued, urgently, yet holding back coarseness.

"Please, Mi'lady, it's for your own safety!"

A gentle voice answered with no harshness whatsoever... it was a voice that would have rivaled the tone of a musical instrument.

"Are you that cautious for my safety, Captain Gray? I appreciate it, but I know that I would like to-"

"Mi'lady, forgive me, but you do know that this prisoner is a-"

"-a foreigner, yes, I am aware of that. What was the crime that it deserved this kind of punishment?"

There was a brief silence, then a sigh, accompanied by a small laugh.

"There was a fight between her and a few of the hotheaded new guardsmen-"

"The prisoner is a woman?"

The 'prisoner' heard another laugh, louder this time. "They were giving her a rough time, saying a woman, especially a foreigner, shouldn't act and dress the way she did. I was going to go over to send them away, but before I can even move, one of the men goes flying through the crowd into a merchant's booth! It was as if a whirlwind had been set loose, men were flying everywhere!"

The first voice laughed again, even as the prisoner grinned in some satisfaction at her exploits, listening to the rest of the story.

"She finds a break in the crowd and takes off, running down the street, the rest of the guards chasing after her! She turns and doubles back toward the crowd, making them run into each other, merchants shouting at the guards running over their wares... it was unbelievable. We only managed to catch her because she stopped so suddenly..."

As the words faded away so did the grin on the prisoner's face, the memory returning to her. It was true, she had stopped...

...The blurs of unfamiliar people as she zoomed by, glancing up at a balcony...

...A vision stood there...

...A beautiful girl, with flowing hair, the color like that of the ocean...

...Memories of times long past, crowding in on her, the dreams, the realization... That was what had caused her to stop. In a daze she had been captured, thankfully taken away from the vengeful guards who had tried to assault her merely for being a woman, as well as a foreigner...

The prisoner was brought back to reality as she heard the musical voice finishing a sentence.

" -it is all right, I understand. Thank you for telling me what happened, and also for your concern. But I have made my decision."

"Are you certain it is the right one?"

There was silence. Then a rustling, as if something metallic were being shifted from on hand to the other.

"Only time will tell, Captain."

The door to the cell swung open. The prisoner turned her head, and the breath caught in her lungs as someone entered the room. She slowly exhaled, managing to keep her steadily beating heart from moving any faster.

She expected a guard or even an executioner to appear, either to take her to slavery or to her death. But she had not expected a girl... no, she hadn't expected a woman to enter her cell. Moreover, she hadn't expected the woman who had caused her to be captured in the first place to enter her prison.

The door had been opened by the guard outside, and it closed gently as the woman who had entered walked forward, carrying two pairs of manacles and three short chains connected to them. The footsteps of the Captain could be heard as she walked away, and all outside sounds faded into nothingness. Their eyes met, challenging each other, seeing who would break the silence. They were both alone in this room, a distance of four feet between them, and yet that closeness was familiar, almost intimate.

Then the captive spoke.

"You don't look like a servant."

The free woman smiled up at the other woman, her eyes holding a mixture of curiosity and coyness as she replied.

"What makes you think I am a servant?"

The captive replied smoothly as she could. "I wasn't implying anything insulting. I was expecting one of the guards or an executioner... I don't know why someone that's as beautiful as you would carry chains around."

The prisoner gave a rakish grin, even as the woman holding the chains smiled back, her voice as sweet as her smile. The prisoner's grin faded with her words.

"When you bring a slave to your home, it's required by law for them to wear chains. Even if it weren't, you still are considered a criminal and should be restrained."

The word 'slave' froze in the captive's mind, and she opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, blinking in shock. …A slave? She was going to be this woman's slave?

Mentally she was waging war with her emotions. This couldn't be right... something was very wrong with the way things were going...and yet-

A lock softly jingled as it tapped against metal, and the captive came back to reality, her bright eyes focused on the free woman as all the cuffs were unlocked. The prisoner landed on her feet, the strain in her arms and her back finally gone. But rather than tend to the muscles that begged for attention, she stood, leaning against the wall, slipping the now loose cuffs from her wrists and her ankles as her eyes darted from the barred window to the door.

"You can't expect to escape here, especially with all the guards around," said the aqua haired woman, glancing toward the door, knowing what the taller woman was thinking. "They have weapons, which they all know how to use. Most of them wouldn't be fond of you, after the fiasco in the market place. And if you were to attempt to take me hostage to secure your own freedom-"

She narrowed her eyebrows as she glared meaningfully at the prisoner. "I wouldn't let you do such a thing."

The captive looked at the woman in front of her, with a sudden and growing respect. True, this stranger was a bit arrogant, and she had a royal attitude, but the way she stood and acted, she had total confidence in herself and a no nonsense way... also, it helped that she was very beautiful... even if beauty could be only skin deep, there was just something about her... something she had known for a long time...

Appearing nonchalant, the captive closed her eyes and leaned against the wall as if resting. She smiled and shrugged, even though her chances for freedom were gone at the moment. Inwardly, she was hesitant... a sudden rush of emotion welling up inside of her...

How familiar this ocean-haired woman was! The shape of her body through her dress, the moments and the slightest expression on her face, everything seemed as if the captive had seen her before, a long time before this moment...

But seeing as how things were going, it wasn't yet time to ask questions.

The best thing to do, at this moment, was to play along, pretend to comply... But something in her decided to be honest with her emotions. Shaking the loose cuffs away from her ankles, she moved away from the wall. The 'prisoner' opened her eyes and sighed, almost theatrically.

"Seeing as how my options are so limited, I'd best do what would be considered the most intelligent thing."

The captive walked forward until she was inches away from the other woman, noticing that she was taller than her 'mistress'. If they were to stand closer, maybe intimately, the smaller girl's head would rest on her chest, next to her beating heart...

Waving away romantic thoughts, she knelt down, and offered her wrists, not without a cocky smirk on her lips.

The new mistress gently cuffed the captive's wrists. She moved swiftly and attached new cuffs to the captive's ankles, connecting one cuff to the other with a chain, than attaching the wrist cuffs together with another chain. Finally, a lead was attached to the chain between the wrist cuffs and all was done.

The ocean haired woman moved over to the door, calling out to the waiting guardswoman.

"The prisoner is secure, Captain Gray."

With that done, the door opened, and the siren winked at her newly acquired charge and pulled gently on the chain, bringing the captive closer to her. She stood on tiptoe as she whispered into the taller woman's ear.

"When we get to my home, I can release you from your chains, but I would have to explain some of your... responsibilities."

The new 'slave' started at the way the word 'responsibilities' was implied, but recovered as her eyes closed, smiling as she whispered back a reply.

"If they involve only you and me, I'll look forward it then."

The siren pulled her new slave forward with a slightly harder yank, but she was smiling and laughed softly before she spoke. "You're very brave... and confident in yourself. What is your name?"

"Haruka."

"My name is Michiru."

Setsuna had a small smile on her face as she finished her tale and sat back on the couch, looking from one astonished senshi to the other.

Michiru was blushing, her cheeks a deep pink color, as she toyed with the cup in her hand. Haruka's eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open slightly, staring into space in shock. Finally coming back to herself, Haruka closed her mouth with an audible 'click', took a deep breath and glared at Setsuna.

"Are you certain that story was one of our histories together?"

Setsuna's smile twisted, but she nodded. "As a matter of fact, the story itself has changed through the ages, but it was one of your beginnings. In that time, your fame spread. Everyone knew about the pair that started as owner and slave, but eventually became both heroes and equals in their own rights."

Michiru cleared her throat, still blushing slightly, but composed. "So I was the, um, 'owner', in that time..."

'I wonder if there's a reversal of roles throughout the years...' the violinist thought to herself.

Haruka's gaze had been on Setsuna, but turned toward Michiru, as she couldn't resist an opportunity to tease her lover.

"I always knew you had a bit of regal bearing..." she grinned, ducking a swinging hand from Michiru.

Undaunted, Michiru raised an eyebrow at Haruka. "I have a regal bearing? I believe I vaguely remember something about the slave actually being a member of royalty who had ran away from home... If that's true, you were probably more arrogant than you are now..."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Haruka had an 'innocent and insulted' look on her face that would have done Usagi proud if she had seen it.

Michiru sighed and placed her teacup down onto its saucer. "Do we really need to talk about this...?"

Setsuna realized that they were going to keep talking about this, and decided to leave while she still could, taking her empty teacup toward the kitchen. When she got there, however, still hearing the two of them arguing, she muffled the sound of the laughter that kept trying to escape from her. After all these eons, those particular Senshi were still the same caring and loving couple they had been.

Even with all the teasing.

"I'm sorry, I'm not doubting anything at all... just the idea of you being a... an, um, mistress... that's..."

Michiru's eyes sparkled as she smiled knowingly.

"I did read somewhere that some couples do try that sort of thing... and I am wondering why there are a pair of velvet lined handcuffs in that shoebox under the bed..."

There was a clattering sound, as if a teacup had tipped over. Then a small laugh was heard.

"Hmm... I'm not the one peeking in people's belongings under the bed."

"Haruka, we do share the same room. And the only reason I found those was because I was looking for a pair of shoes."

"...Oh. That's alright, then…"

"By the way, have you seen my black stiletto heels, Haruka?"

A loud 'THUD' was heard, along with a sigh.

"Ara, I was only kidding."

Setsuna had a idea about what had happened, but she peered from the kitchen anyway. Michiru sat on the couch, an exasperated look on her face, while Haruka had landed flat on her back, lying on the carpeted floor.

Unknown to Michiru, the mock dazed look in Haruka's eyes was replaced by a mixture of tender love and naughty scheming.

From the floor, a hand reached up and swiftly grabbed the ocean senshi's wrist. Michiru gave a surprised cry as she landed on Haruka's lap- right where Haruka wanted her- as the taller woman sat up. Haruka was smiling at her love, her teal-colored eyes glinting mischievously.

"So was I, Michi. So was I… I can tell you where those heels are, though you might need to…'interrogate' me about the exact location…"

Setsuna's mouth quirked in a sudden urge to laugh her head off. Smiling to herself, mindful of the fact that those two were going to have an interesting bed time conversation tonight, the time senshi headed out of the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

Haruka was comfortable, propped up with her back against the pillows. She blinked in the faint light from the window, her eyes adjusting to the dimness of the room. Here she was in her own home with her family, everything had worked out, the world was safe for the moment... she was holding her beloved in her arms...

A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she glanced down at her partner. Michiru slept peacefully, her breathing deep and even, completely relaxed and calm. She moved slightly, cuddling closer to Haruka as she slept. The violinist was so beautiful, her body warm and comforting, her silhouette outlined by the scant light of the waning moon.

Haruka breathed deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, the breath coming out almost like a sigh. So much had happened... and apparently a lot more had happened in the past.

She had been somewhat tense since Setsuna had told them both of a time in their past where instead of meeting as equals, Michiru had been the one who held a higher place in society. Not that that was a problem in itself, but... Haruka just couldn't picture herself as a slave.

A slave... being considered a piece of property, something less than human... no, she probably would have run as fast as she could from such a destiny...

Then Haruka remembered something that Michiru had mentioned... they had both been royalty, born to the Royal Houses of their respective planets... Haruka had left her planet, her home, in order to... what?

The blonde haired woman yawned sleepily and stretched a little, being careful not to wake Michiru. Her eyes slid closed and she breathed in deeply, relaxing between the warm sheets and comforter. That had been the past; this was her present. In the morning, this could be reasoned out… but not now…now was the time for sleep...

The clink of manacles ringing as they hit each other was her grim reality. The weight on her wrists was a constant reminder that she wasn't walking down these streets as a free person.

Haruka kept her gaze focused forward, though she desired with all of her being to confront those who were staring with a haughty glare. There was a slight blush on her face, but she held her head up all the same. Even if she was being lead on a chain like some sort of animal or a...

Slave.

The word stabbed itself into her brain. Part of her burned with shame, remembering the servants that lived on her home planet, who did so much for so little... True, there was no slavery on Uranus, but servants were considered to be among the lower social rankings of her society.

And now, the Princess of Uranus was ranked even lower than the lowest servant on Neptune. A personal slave for a woman she barely even knew...

'No... I know her, somehow... I just need to figure out how...' Haruka thought to herself. A sudden pull on the chains disrupted her train of thought.

"We're here, at my home... and your new home as well."

Haruka looked up, expecting a wealthy merchant's home or even a small apartment. Instead she found herself standing in the shadow of a small castle.

Her mouth dropped open in shock as she realized that this was not a low ranking member of society's home. Michiru was connected in some way to the Royal House of Neptune! But how? Could she be-

A gentle finger pressed on her lips, closing her mouth. Haruka looked away from the castle to Michiru. The ocean haired woman had a smile on her lips, amusement in her eyes.

"Are you surprised by your home?"

Haruka wanted to speak, but she kept her mouth shut, a question in her eyes, as she stared back at Michiru.

The amusement in Michiru's eyes was still there, but her smile became gentle.

"I can explain everything later...first we need to get inside, past the guards and everyone else. Then you and I can take care of some…things."

Haruka had several images (some innocent, a few not so innocent, others... well...) invade her mind, and as Michiru tugged her forward on the chain, she was able to think one coherent thought:

'Kami-sama, help me.'

It hadn't been as bad as she expected. At least, on arrival it hadn't been as bad as she had expected.

On entering the palace, Michiru had lead Haruka past several well-armed guards carrying tridents, down many corridors, and finally to a doorway leading into a large room. It was larger than her cell had been, but it wasn't cavernous at all.

The walls were that same bluish color, but Haruka knew that what was drawn on the walls wasn't natural. Some started out as scribbles, then shapes, contours, shades, combinations of patterns, beings and moods appeared, created using paints. People and those that appeared to be half human, half... something, were swimming through the ocean, one reaching down towards glittering jewels, her hair shimmering in the waters... exotic creatures of all colors, shapes and sizes seemed to form into realistic beings. Haruka felt as if she were watching from the bottom of the sea instead of on land. She turned toward Michiru, the question barely forming in her mind before she spoke.

"How did you... who painted...?"

"I did."

Haruka looked from the walls to Michiru, then back to the walls again. "It's beautiful..." Haruka spoke softly, almost reverently. Michiru watched as the taller woman stared up at the mural in wonder, completely ignoring her surroundings for a moment. A hand came up and pointed to a dolphin.

"What's that?"

Michiru blinked. Surely Haruka hadn't-

"Is it a type of... whatever those things are-" Haruka waved towards the fish, then pointed at the whale, "But this and the smaller one both have holes on the tops of their heads! They don't have the slits on their sides... at least, not from what I can see..."

Michiru was surprised, for the moment. But then she remembered that Haruka was a foreigner, not a native of Neptune, she didn't know of its citizens... or of its creatures.

The Neptunian woman walked towards the mural and pointed first at the dolphin, then at the whale. "You're right, dolphins and whales have those so they can breathe air. They're mammals, which means that they're warm blooded."

Haruka nodded, understanding. She gestured towards the grouping of fish. "All those are different, but they're the same..."

"They're called fish. You've never... seen a fish before?"

Haruka noted the confused tone in Michiru's voice. She shook her head. "My planet didn't have..." She rolled the unfamiliar word off of her tongue. "-fish on it... but I know about mammals, since we have both warm and cold blooded creatures that live in the deserts. There's lizards, spiders, a lot of insects… in the summer, the mosquitoes come out in droves..."

'Deserts...?' Michiru thought in confusion. Then it clicked in her mind as she interrupted Haruka. "You're from Uranus, aren't you?"

Haruka turned towards Michiru, anger and dismay starting appearing in her eyes, but she cast them downward, even as she nodded once, her head bowed. Maybe that wouldn't be enough to reveal to Michiru her true identity...

Michiru, however, was much more observant than Haruka perceived. She noted the slight look of helplessness and slight rage that had been in the taller woman's eyes, but she chose to say nothing about it. If Haruka had a secret, she could reveal it in her own time, there was no use forcing someone...

Not when there were other options to consider.

"Ah... Well, we can discuss your origins later. Right now, I think we both need to freshen up... I need to rinse off the dust of the marketplace, and you... well, you were in the prison for a while, you must be in need of a bath ..."

Michiru was rewarded with a slightly panicked look as Haruka's head quickly came up.

"Nani!... I mean, are you sure that's-"

"Are you questioning what I want...slave?" The last word was whispered, but Haruka caught it as if it had been spoken right in her face. Though the word had negative connotations, the sheer eroticism of how it was spoken had brought a quivering feeling to her stomach, a small shiver down her spine... she did her best to ignore them, concentrating on the woman in front of her.

Dead silence filled the room. Michiru met Haruka's eyes, noticing how they quickly changed their expression, from surprise to coldness.

Haruka glared back, not wavering in the slightest. She knew she didn't have to take this- she could leave anytime she wanted. Without warning, she jerked on the chains in Michiru's hands, expecting the smaller woman to let go, and give her a chance to run away.

Instead, Michiru gripped the chain handle tighter and pulled back.

A game of 'tug-of-war' started, Michiru holding the lead as tightly as she could, Haruka gripping the manacles to keep the cuffs from digging into her wrists. There was a tense moment, as their eyes met, each of them determined to get their way.

But in most cases of sinew against sinew, the stronger ones usually prevail.

Michiru was pulled forward, almost off of her feet, stumbling towards the floor- only to land in Haruka's arms.

The surprised woman looked up at the taller woman, and was surprised to see the cold gaze had vanished- to be replaced by mocking eyes and a self-satisfied smirk.

"I knew you'd fall into my arms." The soft laughter was evident in Haruka's voice, sending a shiver down Michiru's spine. "In fact, I was counting on it." The blonde finished throatily, noticing the surprised look in her captive's eyes. Outwardly, Michiru looked shocked.

But inwardly, she was rejoicing. Maybe the stronger beings won some of the time, but it was really those who used their intelligence and cunning that most often won the day.

And Michiru had both intelligence and cunning hidden beneath her polite exterior.

Haruka looked quizzically at the ocean-haired woman as she suddenly smiled, appearing not to care that she was now captured. Then a stinging made Haruka jerk away from Michiru, and she looked down at the needle embedded in her arm, only to look up again with amazement at the other woman.

Michiru was still smiling, even as Haruka fell to her knees, then onto her side, the woman's final words echoing in her mind as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"I was counting on it too."

She felt liquid heat roll over her lower back. That was her first sensation as consciousness returned. Pressure followed the coating warmth, kneading from her exposed tailbone and following up the length of her spine. The blonde gave a low moan. Blissful warmth and a feeling of complete relaxation... the hands were now working the muscles between her shoulder blades and it was wonderful... those fingers were weaving away the tension that had accumulated throughout the time ... of her imprisonment...

Her eyes slitted open, and felt a draft of air on the small of her back. She tensed, her muscles tightening, realizing that even though a towel was covering her butt, she was completely naked beneath it.

The hands stilled for a few seconds, then did a certain movement, flexing and working the muscles that were now tensed.

And ever so slowly, the tension faded away. With a sigh, Haruka turned her head to see who was doing this to her.

Michiru was smiling, her hands still working, not pausing as she moved them in sweeping strokes down Haruka's sides.

"Welcome back."

Haruka kept her face expressionless, but she opened her eyes, glancing towards Michiru questioningly.

"Why did you drug me? You couldn't have told me what you were intending to do?"

Michiru was silent for a while, looking down at Haruka's legs, admiring the toned muscles as she removed her hands and walked over to a nearby table.

"I... I could tell what your intentions were."

Haruka closed her mouth, watching Michiru as she poured more translucent oil into her hands, then as she walked back and pressed her hands gently down on Haruka's shoulders. The taller woman suppressed a moan as she felt the slightly hot oil being rubbed into her skin. She could even smell the fragrance of cherry blossoms wafting into her nostrils, slowly easing the soreness and tension away. She heard Michiru speaking again.

"You intended to escape. You enjoy freedom, not being tied down to a cause or a person. It's in your body language, your voice... your attitude. As free as the wind..."

Haruka blinked. She had felt a degree of familiarity when meeting this woman, and already this woman knew her... maybe not entirely, but still...

Michiru's hands made that movement again, and Haruka once again lost her train of thought... until she realized Michiru was speaking again.

"The guards would have caught you, even without the chains you wear... It would have meant your death."

A low laugh, empty of mirth, escaped from Haruka. The taller woman raised herself onto her elbows, her arms covering her chest as she turned to face Michiru. Though Haruka was naked, it was Michiru who felt that way underneath Haruka's piercing eyes.

"So in order to keep me from risking my life, you drugged me and laid me here..." Haruka blushed suddenly, a thought occurring to her. Had... she didn't think that… did she think of…?

Noticing Michiru's confused look, Haruka's mouth twisted into a rueful smirk.

"You know, that last sentence sounded better in my mind before I said it..."

Michiru's mouth opened, but then closed, blushing and shaking in silent laughter. Haruka chuckled a little, still watching the ocean haired siren.

Michiru managed to control her laughter and smiled politely at Haruka.

"I can promise you, I did not do any scandalous thing such as taking advantage of you."

One of Haruka's eyebrows rose as she gestured at herself, a disbelieving look on her face. "I don't know, this could be considered pretty scandalous... taking a new slave into your house, drugging them... giving them a massage worthy of royalty..."

Michiru's smile became coy as she walked over to Haruka. Her hand slowly moved upward, her fingertips tracing the smooth cheek bones and contours of Haruka's face, cupping the woman's chin as she gently raised Haruka's head so their eyes met - lips just inches apart.

"I did that because you had been hanging in that jail cell for who knows how long... and besides, if you are 'serving' me...

Haruka immediately tensed again as Michiru leaned down and gently kissed the blonde's cheek, finishing her sentence before she walked back to her place and her hands began working their magic again.

"...you're going to need to be in good shape."

Haruka smiled lazily, relaxing under Michiru's touch.

Maybe it wasn't so bad being a captive; especially if the one who owned you was so kind.

Haruka sat up straight, the sheets still tangled around her body. The t-shirt she wore to bed was slightly damp…

'Probably soaked with sweat from that dream last night… that was-' Haruka shook herself from her thoughts as she looked to the spot next to her. Michiru was wide awake, her eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"Haruka, did you dream last night?" Michiru asked suddenly, not looking at Haruka as she spoke.

"Hai, I did dream last night…" Haruka answered back slowly, a hint of suspicion in her tone as she looked down at Michiru.

Michiru sat up as well, this time her eyes stared down at the comforter that was rumpled and wrinkled. Haruka started as Michiru raised her eyes to meet Haruka's- tears, unshed yet building, were shining in them. Michiru spoke in a whisper, but the trembling in her voice betrayed her emotions.

"Can you forgive me?"

Haruka moved swiftly, catching her beloved in an embrace as Michiru pressed against her shoulder, the tears soaking into the cloth of Haruka's t-shirt.

The wind senshi gently caressed the distressed woman's back, whispering into her ear as she did so.

"It's alright… that was in the past… we've faced so much together, this is nothing… its alright. Truly, Michiru… there's nothing to forgive…"

Michiru relaxed in Haruka's arms and slowly disengaged herself from the other woman's embrace. She reached up and wiped a stray tear from her face.

"I still… I can't believe I drugged you like that…"

Haruka thought of the pain in the dream and smirked slightly.

"I guess you just didn't want me to leave… but you missed your chance because in a way, an aphrodisiac could also be considered as a sedative…"

Michiru choked on her laughter, even as she hit Haruka on the shoulder playfully.

"Ooh, you… I'm going to get in the shower… and no, you can't join me, we have to save the hot water for the others!"

Haruka pouted, and in Michiru's opinion, it was one of the cutest things she had seen. She knew that that mouth was begging to be kissed...

Several seconds later they parted and Haruka smiled and leaned back, admiring the view as Michiru sashayed towards the bathroom.

Given a kiss like that… now THAT was the way to start the morning.

She exhaled and breathed in gently. Her eyebrows narrowed- her clothes had a familiar scent to them…

She glanced down at the t-shirt, speaking out loud wonderingly.

"Is that…cherry blossoms?"


	3. Chapter 3

'Bonds of Destiny'

Michiru contemplated the blank canvas in front of her. She didn't know what she wanted to create, but whatever it was, she hoped inspiration would strike soon.

The clock suddenly rang out, chiming twelve times. She shook her head, realizing she had been staring at the canvas for nearly four hours

With a small sigh, the elegant aqua-haired woman placed her paintbrush in its own compartment before closing the wood-carved chest that held her brushes and her paints. Haruka had bought it for her as a gift...

Michiru stood up, walking towards a window in the room and gently parting the curtains to look at the cloudless blue sky. Below, a tree was swaying, each of its leaves twirling and dancing with the wind. The sight of it brought a smile to her face as she moved away, the curtains falling back into place.

Her eyes closed as memories of the previous morning came back.

It was difficult to conceive that she would do such a thing as drug her own partner...

But Haruka hadn't been her partner in that lifetime. She had been Michiru's slave. That was difficult for Michiru to imagine, let alone believe it had happened.

True, in her dream she had understood the past Haruka's feelings... her desires... even guessing where she had come from, much like the Michiru of today's world. But the thought of owning a person... of owning Haruka, of all people...

It didn't seem to fit. Especially her drugging the one person that she loved... Michiru cast the thought aside, not wanting to become upset again. It was bad enough having to face her love that morning...

It seemed that both of them were effected by these dreams- Haruka had been amazed beyond belief at the discovery of the cherry blossom scent on her clothing, where there had been no cherry blossom scented oils or lotions in the house at the time. But it hit home that these dreams were more than just dreams...

The dreams had been reality. Once, long ago, this had been their lives. With the telling of Setsuna's story, what was just a story had opened a door to their past...

Michiru sighed and fell back onto the bed. Lying on her back, she looked towards the window, watching the sunbeams flickering through the glass on the carpet below.

She closed her eyes and breathed gently... a few moments rest would help clear her mind...

She stared up at the ceiling, a slender arm coming up and shielding her eyes from the faint sunlight that always managed to shine directly into her line of vision.

Michiru sat up, pulling the covers away from her body as she rose from the bed, stretching slightly, greeted by the morning sun. Her thoughts drifted to what happened last night...

The moonlight shone through a part in the curtains, zipping from left to right as if trying to gain someone's attention. The beam of light shone on the face of the only occupant of the room, flashing once before vanishing.

Suddenly a loud noise was heard, as if something had fallen from the skies only to hit the ground hard.

Michiru's eyes had flickered once, and she had closed them when another loud noise was heard, closer and disturbingly real. This time she fully awakened. The windows to the balcony were open, the wind rustling the curtains. Someone was out there!

She had rushed from the bed to the balcony, only to find Haruka standing at the railing, looking down at the street below, the moon shining down and illuminating her skin to an almost marble color. She was so still, Michiru could have sworn she was a statue, carved with care and with perfection in mind.

Cries of astonishment and the shouts of some guards had been heard, but Haruka's expression was passive, almost detached. Michiru walked over and stood beside the tall blonde, watching the activity below.

"Someone fell from the rooftop... The guards think it was an assassin."

Haruka spoke loudly enough for Michiru to hear, watching her closely. The taller woman noticed how the aqua-haired woman's expression changed, from confusion to a look of horror and shock. Within seconds, the shock was repressed and seriousness took it's place.

'She conceals her true emotions as well...' Haruka thought to herself.

"They must have been after the Princess." Michiru stated matter-of-factly.

Haruka's teal eyes registered surprise. "She's nearby?"

"Always," the aqua haired woman answered darkly, her eyes clouded with distant thoughts as she looked towards the distant moon. "There are many who would strike at Neptune and our allies in any shape or form."

"Good thing the assassin was clumsy at this attempt, ne?"

Michiru was torn from her thoughts as she glanced down at the street. The body had been removed, the blooded earth cleaned off, but there was still a faint impression of a human body lying in the dust.

Michiru felt her own body tensing up, stricken by the grisly demise and the possibility of discovery.

"They might have swung down into this room for entry," Haruka continued, still looking at the street but sensing Michiru's sudden tension, "-and if they entered here-"

Dark teal eyes locked with defensive blue eyes.

"-who knows what might have happened."

Michiru was at a loss for words. Taking a breath of the fresh smelling night air, she calmed her sudden tension, turning away from Haruka; her words were spoken calmly, yet they held a current of disbelief.

"I am touched by your concern. But I wonder why you are here by yourself."

Haruka's expression was nonchalant, and it didn't change in the slightest as she replied.

"I heard the noise of someone fighting... I thought you might be in danger, so I came to investigate."

Michiru remembered that Haruka was sleeping in a small room connected with her own. It was entirely plausible that Haruka had been in her room the whole time.

So intent in her thoughts was Michiru that she didn't notice Haruka was looking right at her.

"I got up, walked over to the balcony doors, opened them and went out here..."

Michiru glanced up; she was surprised to see Haruka standing, walking slowly towards her.

"Then you came out…"

Haruka was so close that Michiru could have rested her head against the blonde's chest…Michiru felt an urge to envelope herself in the taller woman's embrace...

Their gazes locked, one of them intent and piercing, the other calm yet beguiling...

The handsome blonde leaned in and whispered into Michiru's ear, words sinuous and winding against the aqua-haired woman's skin.

"You and I started talking..."

Michiru tensed in reflex, a shiver of anticipation and longing running down her back.

"…and here we are together."

A small smile appeared on Haruka's lips as her eyes seemed to change from their aloof coldness to warmth that Michiru hadn't seen before.

To Haruka, seeing Michiru silhouetted in the moonlight, her hair gently caressed by the faint breeze... She was very beautiful... so very, very desirable...

Haruka's eyes closed as she banished away any 'adult' thoughts. She leaned away from the balcony railing, straightened up, and walked back into the room, heading towards the comfort of her bed.

Michiru stood in that place, transfixed by the memory of Haruka's expression. She looked up at the moon, wondering what magic spell had been cast over her this night…

It had been hours since Michiru could get any sleep. Her thoughts kept returning to Haruka's sudden change of attitude and her smile...

The aqua-haired woman shook her thoughts away as she stood up from the bed, neatly rearranging the sheets for tomorrow night.

There was the sound of running water coming from her bathroom... Michiru blinked, confused. No one was supposed to be in there, unless someone had been running a bath.

She walked from her now made bed and glanced into the bathroom.

Haruka was kneeling beside the tub, her fingertips running lightly across the water as the ripples from the faucet made small waves... She poured in some liquid from a bubble bath container and stared as the water became frothy and a few bubbles rose from the water, dancing in a light breeze.

Michiru didn't know if she should just walk in or keep watching, but then Haruka spoke.

"It should be ready... I made sure the water wasn't scalding, just warm enough."

Michiru nodded, not trusting her voice to betray her surprise.

Haruka rose, turning the faucet off and shaking her hand slightly to flick away the stray drops of water into the tub. She turned to face Michiru, but any words she wanted to say faded away. The blood in Haruka's veins suddenly coursed through her system, some of it rushing up to bring a faint blush to her face.

Michiru had shed her bathrobe and was now slipping her undergarments off. Quickly Haruka averted her gaze, her blush deepening to a darker shade.

The aqua-haired princess paused in her undressing, seeing Haruka's averted eyes and blush. Michiru, naturally, couldn't resist the urge to tease her 'slave'.

"Haruka.." she spoke softly, walking forward so that she was within arms' reach of the blonde.

The taller woman's eyebrows twitched, and Michiru had to swallow a giggle. She had a towel in her hand and quickly wrapped it around her waist, her eyes watching Haruka to make sure that taller woman wasn't sneaking a look.

Haruka kept looking away. She wasn't even daring to peek. It was rather cute, actually…

Michiru was smiling, but she put a more forceful edge into her tone, making her words sound like an order.

"Haruka, look at me. Please."

Her eyes closed briefly for a moment, as she silently prayed to whatever entity would take mercy on her, before opening her eyes and turning her head.

Michiru stood there, arms crossed over her breasts, a towel around her waist. Inwardly Haruka sighed with relief.

Michiru's smile became coy. "You know, I don't understand why you're so embarrassed. After all-" she paused, wanting to see Haruka's reaction. "-you only had a towel when I gave you that massage last night."

As bad as Haruka was blushing before, that statement added to her embarrassment.

She was still blushing as Michiru walked past her and slipped off the towel, folding it neatly before sliding into the bathtub. True to Haruka's word, it was just the right temperature. She turned back to face Haruka, who was still in the same position. Apparently the shock had gotten to her.

"Haruka?" Michiru asked a note of worry in her voice. Maybe she had taken her teasing too far...

Haruka turned and faced Michiru, a familiar smirk on her face.

"Nice try, 'Mistress'." She laughed a little bit, the humor fading away. "But, in all honesty," Haruka admitted, walking over to sit down on the floor, resting her arms on the bathtub rim and looking Michiru in the eyes. "Seeing you last night, and this morning... you're lovely." The last word was spoken quietly, almost reverently.

Michiru blushed faintly, a smile on her face. "Arigatou." She turned away and picked up a container carrying some type of scented liquid.

"Could you... wash my hair, please?"

Haruka blinked, confused as to how to respond. But with the beguiling look in Michiru's eyes, she found it hard to say 'no'. Holding back a sigh, she nodded.

"Alright."

Michiru handed the container over to Haruka. Michiru turned away, presenting her back to Haruka, who raised her eyes towards the ceiling.

Someone was enjoying seeing her suffer like this... With a muffled sigh, Haruka set to the task at hand.

She poured a small measure of the liquid into her hands (about a quarter's size) and gently massaged it onto Michiru's scalp. She worked the liquid into a lather, running her fingers in circles, forward and backwards, being sure to get down to the roots of her hair.

In this close proximity with Michiru, there were some things Haruka couldn't help but notice. When Michiru's hair was wet, it became a shade darker, taking the look of a deep ocean wave in the middle of a storm... Michiru's eyes were closed; she looked peaceful sitting there...

Inadvertently, Haruka realized she was staring at Michiru's chest. She averted her gaze, but then glanced back, curiosity overriding her respect of privacy. Fortunately, the foam from the bubble bath had made the water cloudy and murky enough so that not much could be seen...

From what Haruka saw, however, she knew that Michiru was very 'well endowed', but not to the point of extravagance. No... What was the word...?

Elegant.

Michiru had an elegant body. Though that word was used to describe vehicles or musical instruments or other inanimate objects, it meant poise... presence. Someone that quite easily drew attention...

"...ruka, I think my hair is done. Haruka?"

Haruka started out of her thoughts, removing her hands from Michiru's hair. A stray aquamarine strand was wrapped around her fingers, and she looked down at it at the entwined strand of hair. "Oh... okay, Michi..."

"Michi?"

Haruka glanced up, as Michiru turned to face her, her body thankfully hidden by the bathrub rim. With her hair still lathered, Michiru didn't look as intimidating, but a thoughtful look was in her eye.

Haruka thought frantically. What had possessed her to call Michiru 'Michi'?

"I guess I-... What I meant was... "

Michiru smiled, and Haruka cut off the words that had been trying to race out of her mouth.

"I like how that sounds." Michiru's smile became a little mischievous. "Especially when you say it."

A rueful smile came to Haruka's face. Then an idea occurred to her, and the smile widened slightly.

Two could play at this teasing game.

"Oh? I'm not the only one that calls you 'Michi'?"

Michiru's expression was priceless. But she quickly shook her head, looking at Haruka coyly.

"A lady never tells."

Haruka smirked, a low laugh coming from her. Michiru was still watching her and reached absently for the bar of soap. Customary as soap is, it slipped out of her hand and into the murky water.

"Ah..."

"Wait, let me get that..."

Haruka had seen the soap slip away from Michiru and she reached into the water to try and grab the slippery bar. This, however, moved her position so that she was inches away from Michiru's lips. The blonde stood still, her hand frozen where it was... Maybe if she kept staring at the tile, she could move away... A whisper sent a chill down her back, despite the heat of the water.

"Haruka?"

The blonde turned, looking directly into Michiru's eyes. With the lather in her hair, and her skin now shining with the water and bubbles, Michiru resembled a mythical creature… not unlike those half-people half-fish beings she had seen on the walls… Haruka wanted nothing more than to lose herself in Michiru's gaze and have her lips caress the smaller woman's…

A knock at the door drove her out of her thoughts. She noticed the diversion and went for it.

"I think that breakfast is here…" Quickly, a little too quickly, Haruka withdrew her hand from the water and tore her gaze away, standing up and walking out of the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, resting her back against it, taking a breath to calm her now racing pulse.

In the bathroom, Michiru let out a small gasp. She had unknowingly been holding her breath when Haruka looked at her and had leaned in… the look in Haruka's eyes was a tornado of emotions… fear, longing, desire… was there affection as well?

Both girls cast their eyes ceiling-ward.

'I want her,' one girl growled in her mind, a hand reaching up to cover her eyes; the other girl thought it wistfully, upturning a cup of cold water to rinse out her hair and to wake up from her daze.

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Yes, it's fine."

"I am on your bed with you... that could be considered-"

"Haruka, shut up and eat some toast."

Michiru glared at the blonde, narrowing her eyebrows as she sipped from a cup of warm tea.

Haruka reached down and placed a piece of toast in her mouth, holding it between her teeth as she looked at Michiru, a puppy dog look in her eyes. The aqua-haired girl, who had merely been pretending to be stern, smiled and laughed politely, a hand reaching up to cover her mouth.

Haruka grinned, taking a bite out of the piece of bread. After Michiru had finished up in the bathtub, she had insisted that Haruka share her breakfast with her. Considering that it was four pieces of toast, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a kettle of tea, it was a bit much...

While they ate, the two young women talked.

"... My family usually attends court here on Neptune. It's boring most of the time, but it does have it's moments. There is this one ambassador, though. I cannot believe he was appointed; he's incredibly pompous, arrogant, and he never stops talking... you say one thing to him, the man goes off into all these tangents... It's horrible." Michiru scowled, glaring down at the now empty tea cup in her hand.

"Oh, you mean Pontius..." Haruka said absent-mindedly.

Michiru looked up, puzzlement on her face. "You know about the ambassador Pontius?"

Haruka looked up, blinking. Damn, she'd made another slip-up 'Come on, think, something, anything...'

"Well, I had to go to the court a few times as well," Haruka said, making her words as smooth as possible. "It was encouraged for some members of royalty to bring in a few of the populace at a time... For educational purposes, my uncle managed to let me in so I could see how 'our leaders' could solve problems."

Haruka was telling the truth, so to speak; her uncle had been the one to introduce her to the court life, but she hadn't been in the crowd; she'd been at her parents' side, watching as they, the King and Queen of Uranus, solved some of the diplomatic problems between the city-states.

"Most boring hour of my life, listening to Pontius talk," she finished, taking another bite of toast, looking away as to not give Michiru any clues about her deception.

Michiru was not convinced. But once again, she let the conversation slide. When Haruka was ready, she could tell Michiru the truth.

Besides, Michiru had something she needed to bring up.

Five hours later...

Haruka sank onto the warm sand, casting a hateful glance at the bags she had been carrying for what seemed like ages. Shaking her head, she faced the sunset, watching as the golden sun seemed to slide lower and lower towards the ever-moving seas.

After breakfast, Michiru had told Haruka they were going on. Instead of using chains, however, Michiru had placed a lockable bracelet on Haruka's wrist. She had informed the blonde that if they were separated- or if Haruka tried to run away- any guards on the alert could recognize her by that bracelet and take her back to the castle.

Haruka hadn't been happy at all with the announcement, or the resulting tasks she had to do while they were out. Holding the bag, setting it down, handing Michiru her purse, taking it back...and as fit as Haruka was, she felt like collapsing in her bed when they returned to Michiru's room.

Michiru came and sat down beside her, looking out at the sunset.

"It's beautiful out here... you can never truly see the sunset from any of the castle windows."

Haruka didn't reply, she kept looking out at the fading sunlight.

Michiru looked away from the beautiful view, her voice low.

"I'm sorry... that must have been difficult for you."

Haruka turned, confusion in her eyes as she looked at Michiru's downcast expression.

"Carrying the bags? No, I'll be fine-"

"No, I meant-" Michiru interrupted, looking into Haruka's eyes as she gathered her courage to say her next words. "I meant you taking all those orders... Even though I was polite, what I said...they were still commands... I hated it. I hated doing that to you." She turned her head away, still looking out at the ocean. Inwardly, she felt like running to it and jumping in to escape the silence between the two of them.

In truth, Haruka didn't know what to say. Slowly, hoping in her heart that she wasn't taking any liberties, she placed a gentle hand on Michiru's shoulder.

Michiru stilled, that single hand telling her so much about the woman she was beginning to know better... Her own hand reached up and softly, tenderly, caressed the slender fingers of Haruka's hand.

Haruka moved closer to Michiru, her hand rubbing Michiru's shoulder comfortingly. She looked up again, watching the waves. Suddenly her eyes narrowed; there was something riding on the waves...

"Michi, look, someone's out there." Haruka turned back at Michiru looked up, and out towards where Haruka was pointing.

The aqua-haired woman smiled, speaking out loud. "That's a kitesurfer... They use the wind to ride on the tops of the waves."

Haruka looked up at the darkening sky. Sure enough, there was a large, brightly colored kite, twirling and flickering in the air as the rider spun and coasted over the waves, moving with a speed and recklessness that only a professional could have.

The blonde smiled, a distant memory returning to her.

"We have a sport like that on Uranus. Only, we use it as a means of getting around- and to prove ourselves as adults." At Michiru's confused look, Haruka explained.

"Traditionally, the youth of each city-state were to travel to another city state, by foot, and return home by means of a wind surfboard." The excitement in Haruka's voice was evident, memories running through her mind.

"I lived in the capital city at the time of my journey. I remember dressing in the ceremonial clothing, I still have no idea why they called the journey 'tabi' when I thought they kept referring to my socks. When my father said 'May your journey be easy and not filled with rocks' in the old language, I almost laughed aloud." She grinned, staring out at the sun, all but the tip behind the waves.

The blonde's voice became lower, more subdued. "I don't know how long I walked for... the days seemed to roll onward into weeks... I was very hungry and thirsty, but I found food and water out there, and I knew if I was in danger, there were runners who scanned the desert to make sure no one was lost. In the past several had died because of that tradition, but the royal family wanted to make sure that while no one failed, no one died either. If you were rescued, you just had to do it all over again."

"That was what kept me walking. I didn't want to bring shame to my family by failing." She spoke simply, but her tone had an undercurrent of determination. She sighed, casting aside the old feelings.

"After two weeks since I left my home, I arrived at the closest city-state. I collapsed at the gate, but stood up again and walked into the city with my head held up. I purchased a 'board, which I had to name before I took it out on it's first ride."

An image flashed in her mind of a young girl, about thirteen years old, carrying a board and sail out past the city walls, her face serious, but an eager look in her eyes as she set up the board and sail, laughing and whooping with delight as the wind picked up and she skimmed the surface of the sand, jumped over a dune with a cloud of dust in the air.

"I named my windboard 'Kunpuu' in the old language... it means 'fragrant breeze'."

"You named your 'board 'Zephyr'?" Michiru asked, caught up in the story.

Haruka winked at Michiru. "It was the summertime... and right then I definitely needed a breeze, I hadn't been able to bath for two weeks! I thought the shopkeeper who sold the 'boards was going to throw me out!"

Michiru laughed at the expression on Haruka's face. There was no denying the handsome blonde's charm. Haruka inwardly grinned, glad to take Michiru away from her guilty thoughts.

"When I arrived, and after a good bath," Haruka grinned, making Michiru laugh again; "I was welcomed home by all of my family. And I was accepted as a full adult. My parents were so proud of me that day..." She ended her story, a wistful look in her eyes.

Michiru watched as the kite board rider coasted in, landed on the beach and started pulling in his kite, but with the stop of Haruka's words, she turned her attentions to the taller woman.

"You miss your home... I would probably miss Neptune if I were to leave."

Haruka's smile became gentle, just as it had the previous night. She gently squeezed Michiru's hand, her eyes sparkling. Michiru's heart was stilled at the sight.

"I needed to leave... I just didn't expect where I was going to end up. No one ever does, until they find out for themselves."

Quick as the wind, Haruka got to her feet, turning and facing Michiru, offering her a hand up to the breathless woman. An eyebrow raised. "May I help you up, Mi'lady?" she said, her voice imitating that of Captain Grey.

Michiru smiled, placing her hand in Haruka's. Easily the taller woman pulled, and Michiru was up on her feet.

As quick as Haruka was, Michiru was a tad quicker going over to the bags on the ground nearby and picking up her purse.

"I'll carry this back home."

Haruka blinked, reaching down to gather the remaining bags, which she stuffed into one large bag, carried easily in one hand.

"Are you cer-"

Michiru, taking Haruka by surprise, moved and placed a finger over the blonde's lips.

"Don't question me, Haruka."

Haruka looked at her questioningly. In a split second, Michiru made her choice.

She removed her finger and pressed her lips to Haruka's. Her eyes closed as Haruka's widened in shock. Then Haruka felt something in her chest... her heart had skipped a beat. She broke away, gasping slightly, still wide-eyed.

The emotion in Michiru's eyes was at first puzzled, then saddened. 'I guess Haruka didn't like the kiss...' she thought to herself, her eyes closing as tears formed behind them. She refused to cry in front of Haruka...

Suddenly a strong pair of arms folded themselves around the astonished young woman, and Michiru opened her eyes again; to stare up into Haruka's blazing glare.

"If you're expecting me to follow you, Mistress," Haruka's voice was husky, her being filled with desire as she spoke, "-you should follow through with your intentions." With no hesitation, she touched her lips to Michiru's, who eagerly returned her administrations. The kiss deepened as the two of them embraced under the stars and moon, the sun having vanished beneath the waves.

Haruka snapped awake, rolling out from beneath the engine of the car. One moment she had been working on the underbody of the car, and the next, she had fallen asleep... Damn, it had been another of those dreams...

She quickly shed off her oily coveralls and sneakers, grabbing her blazer to go on over her t-shirt and jeans before leaving the garage and running upstairs. She opened the door to her room, and seeing Michiru sitting up on the bed, walked over to her. Michiru was staring at the canvas across the room, a hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide in what seemed like shock.

"Michiru?"

Michiru tore her haunted gaze away from the painting, and threw herself in Haruka's embrace. Haruka held her close, glancing at the painting. Her muscles tensed as realization hit her.

The canvas now held a painting of a sunset on a beach... a very familiar sunset, with two shadowed figures embracing on the sands.

Haruka exhaled, holding Michiru closer to her.


	4. Bonus Chapter: Argument

Note: This was something I wrote a few years back, with help from Saun... I just wanted to post it here to see if it would be worth showing... times have changed since the time I was last on here... :)

The sun was setting in a perfect motion, the sky tinted yellow and red in a beautiful arrangement of colors and clouds, as the bright sphere dropped lower behind the ocean, heralding the end of the day and the soon arrival of night.

All this was lost on a figure who parked in a rest stop, staring at her car's engine. Haruka wiped away the sweat on her forehead as she leaned forward, using the socket wrench to tighten one of the loose screws in the car's engine... It was difficult, but it helped to distract her from the reason why she had left in the first place...

She froze, a sudden cooling breeze rushing past her and ruffling her hair, causing her to turn towards the setting sun... and then, the breeze vanished, just as the last lights faded into oncoming darkness.

Haruka stared out at the sky, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Had it really been only a few moments ago that she and Michiru had that fight?

At 7:30 in the evening, Haruka had been sitting on the couch... no, she had been laying on it, reading a racing magazine that had arrived in the mail.

It had been a very dull day. There hadn't been any appointments, conferences, meetings, or anything involving their professional lives. Hotaru had arrived home from school, greeting her family warmly then running upstairs to do her homework. Setsuna and Michiru had went to the store for groceries and a few errands.

Haruka had gotten up from the couch as she opened the door for Michiru and Setsuna, who both carried grocery bags. Michiru smiled, and Haruka felt her heart flutter. Even being together as long as they were, there were still those wonderful moments when Haruka was happily entranced by Michiru's beauty.

Michiru set the groceries on the table and walked back to Haruka, giving her a soft hug. "Mmmm... hello there."

Haruka chuckled as she embraced her lover gently. "Hello yourself," she said, looking her siren in the eyes. "How was your day?"

The blue eyes seemed to brighten as Michiru smiled. "I talked with the auditorium owner, he was thrilled that I'd be playing there again... he also wanted to know if you were willing to duet this time."

The blond woman nodded, glancing down at her free hand, the other arm holding Michiru close. "It has been a while since I've practiced... but I think after a few rehearsals I could play along." She smiled at her lover.

Michiru leaned up slightly, kissing Haruka gently. "You know that the best compliment to the sound of the ocean is the wind..."

"Eww! Setsuna-mama, why do Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama always get kissy-faced every time they get apart?"

The two senshi had the grace to blush, even as Hotaru was lead away by Setsuna, who was saying something about 'the birds and bees' while shooting the other two a meaningful glance to take their intimacy upstairs. Haruka sighed, brushing some stray bangs from her face.

"Um... you know, for once I think Setsuna may have the right idea..."

There was a muffled 'I heard that' from the wall separating the two rooms. Haruka sweatdropped while Michiru laughed softly.

"You put away the groceries, Haruka, it's only a few bags. I think I'll just take a shower, since it was so warm today..." Michiru gracefully walked out of the room, leaving behind a slightly blushing and definitely turned on Haruka. The tall woman sighed, glancing at the grocery bags.

"Yeah... today has definitely been warm..." She began taking things out of the paper bags when suddenly-

"HARUKA!"

Without a backward glance, Haruka sped out of the kitchen. She had run up the stairs full tilt when she heard Michiru scream her name again. The cold grip of fear quickly gave way to shock. Haruka had entered the bathroom to find Michiru standing there, arms crossed and a icy glare in her eyes. The bathroom floor was soaked in two inches of water, flowing from beneath the cupboard. All the things stored in the cupboard were completely soaked, some of them actually floating in the water... A few cotton balls swirled around as Haruka stood in stunned silence.

"Where...were...you... today?" Michiru's voice was deceptively soft and calm as she stared piercingly at Haruka. The racer's eyes were wide in shock, and she swallowed as she met her love's glare.

"I've been here all day, Michi..."

"Do you remember that we had a conversation yesterday that the drain was clogged? And that you said you were going to call a plumber today, to come and check on it, just in case? And look what happened!" Michiru's voice became louder, and slightly more shrill as she rushed past Haruka, opening the closet and grabbing several towels from it as she rushed back to the bathroom. Haruka stared, trying to speak in a reasonable tone.

"You can't use the towels to soak up the water, there's too much of it-"

Haruka was interrupted as Michiru threw the towels down into the water angrily. "I'm going to try and keep the water from soaking into the carpet... At least I'm doing something useful!"

The racer sighed. "Look, I know I made a mistake-"

"A mistake? I'd hate to see what you think of as a disaster!"

Haruka scowled, and brushed past Michiru. She hadn't gotten two steps until Michiru said something again.

"Haruka! Your socks are soaked, and you're stepping on the carpet!"

Growling, Haruka reached down and pulled the socks off, rolling them up into a ball and throwing them at the wall, causing a loud 'bang' noise. She straightened up, glaring at Michiru. Haruka heard someone shouting angrily, and found that it was herself.

"Stop lecturing me as if I were a child!"

"You're behaving exactly like a child!"

"Really, well then at least I'm not a spoiled child!"

"Why didn't you call the plumber, this all could have been avoided!"

"Why didn't you?"

"Don't you dare blame this on me!"

The two women were inches apart, each one shouting at the other. The tirade continued in this strain, even as the water suddenly stopped flowing from the cupboard.

A few minutes later, the bedroom door slammed open and Setsuna stood there, a look of rage on her normally calm features.

"Haruka! Michiru! Both of you, shut the hell up!"

The two senshi immediately turned towards their roommate, shocked by Setsuna's coarse (but deserved) language. There was a glint in her eyes that told Haruka and Michiru that both of them were definitely in hot water right now.

"You both were shouting and arguing so loud that the neighbors could probably hear you! Hotaru is in her room, crying because you both scared her! All you needed to do to solve this was to turn off the pipes, and call a plumber, but the two of you were so focused on your, your... your bitching that you didn't notice a damn thing!"

As Setsuna trailed off into silence, Haruka and Michiru both heard a stifled cry coming from Hotaru's room. As bad as they had felt before arguing, the sound of their firefly suffering made things even more worse.

Haruka brushed past Setsuna, walking down the stairs. "Enough is enough. I'm calling a plumber, before anything else happens," she called back behind her shoulder.

Michiru rushed to the top on the stairs as Haruka walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Michiru asked, mentally pleading with Haruka not to leave.

The tone of Michiru's voice sounded desperate, but Haruka was feeling tense and angry at the pain they had caused Hotaru, as well as the stress from bickering. She glared up at her girlfriend, raising up her car keys in a clenched fist, making Michiru step back in reflex. There was a glare in Haruka's eyes that was driven shame- more at herself than anything else- but the pure anger in her eyes seemed to drown it out.

"I'm going driving. I'll call the damn plumber and make sure they get here, it if keeps me out of your hair and your bad moods!" With that last remark, Haruka slammed the door.

As Haruka drove, the wind cooling down her sudden anger, she realized that the bathroom still had two inches of water in it. Reaching for a button on the consol, she pressed it.

"Operator, may I help you?"

"Yes, please get me the nearest plumbing service that is near this address..."

Haruka gave the woman the information as she drove, finally in contact with one of the plumbers, who wasn't so sure about working at such a late hour, but was reassured by the expenses Haruka promised to pay, including a bonus if he got rid of the water.

"And the name, sir?"

Haruka had to smile at that. Even on the telephone, people had mistaken her for a man. "Tenoh Haruka."

There was a moment of silence, followed by some excited whispering, then the man was back on the phone.

"Uh, hey, you know what, we'll do it free of charge! That's no problem, Tenoh-san!"

Haruka blinked at that. "Why are you-"

The man rushed on, his voice filled with excitement and joy. "Consider it repaying a favor, when you won that race over in Greece I won a lottery, made by, er, a few neighbors of mine! I made forty thousand yen in one night!"

The racer smiled. "That's a very nice gesture of you-"

"With the money, I was able to buy tickets for me and my family to see a concert with your girlfriend, Kaioh Michiru, playing the violin! She was incredible, she even signed autographs for my children! My little girl wants to learn to play just like her!"

Haruka was stunned. She quickly finished the phone call, the man thanking her profusely as she disconnected, and drove on, until she made the stop at the rest area.

A few hours later, she was home.

Sighing, she walked up and unlocked the door, quickly walking inside and locking everything.

The house was entirely silent. As Haruka walked into the living room, the couch was already made out with a bedspread, sheets and pillows-

-with Michiru sleeping, curled up on the couch, embracing a pillow.

Haruka stared at her lover, moonlight flickering in through one of the windows. It was obvious that Michiru had also been crying. Her face was slightly red, tear tracks on her cheeks evident as tossed slightly in her sleep.

Gently, the blonde racer cradled Michiru in her arms, intending to bring her upstairs. Which was the precise moment Michiru opened her eyes.

Again, Haruka's pulse increased. Michiru closed her eyes again, and she looked saddened and tired.

"Hello." Michiru murmured, snuggling close as she placed her arms around Haruka's neck. Her tone was morose as she seemed to hold onto Haruka a little tighter, as if afraid to let her go. eit a little sadly. "Hey." She made a move towards the stairs, but Michiru shook her head.

"You want to sleep on the couch?"

Michiru nodded, resting her head against Haruka's shoulder. Slowly, the racer sat down, bringing her legs up when Michiru was laying comfortably beside her.

"Why did you wait for me?" Haruka softly whispered, a hand stroking Michiru's luxurious hair. Blue eyes opened and captured teal ones in their gentleness.

"Because I didn't want you to come home without anyone to greet you."

Haruka tightened her grip slightly, then loosened it, cradling Michiru in her embrace.

Tomorrow, in the morning, they would both apologize to each other, then to Setsuna, and finally to Hotaru, for causing both of their housemates unnecessary grief.

Tomorrow, Haruka would double check the pipes and the bathroom to make sure the mechanic had done his job well as he said he would.

And tomorrow, life would go on.

For now, no apologies needed to be said.


End file.
